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Sydney AFL Round 8 2018

SYDNEY AFL ROUND 8 2018Article by Michael Shillito

The first Sunday game for 2018 saw the top two teams line up against each other; as North Shore hosted Sydney Uni at Blacktown. The weather was fine, but smoke from bushfire control burns affected visibility and breathing. But the surface was in good shape, and conditions were set for what would be an absorbing game of footy.
It was goal for goal in the first quarter, as the two sides looked for an edge over the other but were unable to make a decisive move. There were plenty of big moments, none more so than 200th-gamer Chris Murphy running down an opponent to prevent a certain goal. Like a tactical chess board, both sides were rotating their teams more than normal, looking in vain for the decisive match-up that would swing the game in their favour. But honours would be shared in the opening term, with three goals apiece; and the Students holding a two-point advantage at quarter time.
The Bombers took the lead in the opening minutes of the second term, but when they looked like running away with the contest they would be pulled back by the Students. The ball was in the North Shore forward half for considerable periods of time early in the second term, and they would manage three early goals. But the Students fought back as the quarter unfolded, getting two goals back to cut the Bombers’ lead to six points at the long break.
The third quarter would follow a similar trend to the second. The Bombers were looking good early, threatening to impose themselves and get out to a lead. But when the challenge was set, the Students responded. The Uni team lifted when the challenge was made, and forced their way back into the contest. Four goals to three, including the last three goals of the quarter, would go the Students’ way as they put pressure on the Bombers. The last goal of the quarter would level the scores; and the undefeated Bombers had a fight on their hands as the teams went into the huddle for the three quarter time break with the scores tied up.
The sun was setting, the shadows lengthening. The coaches pleaded with their charges for one last effort, to make the decisive break that would swing the contest their way. The game was there to be won, and this was the time to stand and deliver. And again, as in the second and third quarters, it was the Bombers who would make the front-running in the last. It took barely ten minutes, but a run of five quick goals put the contest out of the Students’ reach; and there was no coming back this time. The Students didn’t give up the fight, and would pull three goals back. But this time the buffer the Bombers had built would be too great to pull back; and a late North Shore goal put the issue beyond doubt.
In the end, it was a 19-point win for the Bombers. Max Thomas, Kyle Devlin and Jono Marsh were pivotal to the Bombers’ success; but it was a solid team effort around the ground. The Bombers remain undefeated, two games clear on top of the ladder; and although they were tested by the Students, they rose to the challenge every time.
Sydney Uni were well served by the efforts of Tom Ayton, Matt Akehurst and Jacob Swarts. It wasn’t enough to get the points, and the loss sees the Students fall behind Pennant Hills to third on the ladder; but the Students gave the in-form Bombers a run for their money. There’s a good chance the two teams will meet again when the business end of the season comes around; and the Students showed themselves capable of causing the Bombers some anxious moments.

UTS snapped a five-game losing streak when they fell over the line by four points against St George at Waverley Oval on Saturday afternoon. The statement that bad kicking is bad football can be a cliché at times, but for the Dragons their wasteful finishing would come back to haunt them.
The Dragons started the game full of running, dominating around the ground and creating myriad chances to put the game out of the Bats’ reach. But time and again, when the scoring chances presented themselves, the ball sailed wide of the big sticks. There was a bit of a breeze, but nothing too substantial that would explain the missed opportunities; just some poor finishing which may have imposed a psychological barrier. But the wasteful tally of 3.10 by the Dragons, against two goals by the Bats, saw the Dragons lead by just 14 points at quarter time when the game could have already been out of the home side’s reach.
Around the ground, St George had been easily the better side in the first quarter. The Bats lifted in the second quarter and took control of the contest; but unlike St George in the first, the Bats made better use of their chances. The second quarter would yield six goals to one in favour of the Bats, as they turned their quarter time deficit into a 14-point half time lead.
The Dragons were under pressure, and had to lift. The challenge was set, and the Dragons responded. Lifting their work rate, going in hard for the contested footy, and showing a desperation that has been missing at critical times this season. The third term would see the Dragons score five goals to two, taking the lead late in the quarter and leading by five points at the last change.
It was a thriller. The Dragons had plenty of chances in the final quarter to put the game out of the Bats’ reach, but again their radar in front of the big sticks would let them down when it was needed most. Only one St George attempt would make it between the big sticks, despite the Dragons getting plenty of the ball. And the Bats came surging home in the final moments. Three goals for the quarter was just enough, and the Bats would fall over the line by four points.
Brad Harricks, Rawson Kirkhope and Scott Jansen were best for UTS. After five losses in a row, the Bats will be breathing a sigh of relief that the losing run is finally over. The Bats were outplayed for much of the afternoon, and were far from convincing. But making better use of the chances they had enabled them to just get home.
It was a heartbreaking loss for the Dragons. Over the course of the afternoon they looked the better side around the ground and dominated most of the stats except the one that matters. Dom Michalak, Miles Bridgland and Daniel Cooper were solid performers for the Dragons. But the Dragons remain stuck in ninth place, having only saluted twice so far this season. There’s still plenty of time to turn things around. The season isn’t half over yet. But a season that promised much for the Dragons is threatening to fall away.

Camden have performed credibly so far in their debut season in Premier Division. And at Henson Park on Saturday afternoon, the Cats would claim their biggest scalp yet when they knocked off UNSW-ES by 19 points.
A good start would make the difference, as the Cats got the early break and built themselves up to a lead that the Bulldogs would not be able to claw back. Starting ferociously, contesting every ball and hassling the Bulldogs out of the contest, the Cats hit the ground running and made an impact on the scoreboard with a first term of footy as good as anything they’ve played in Premier Division to date. The quarter would yield five goals to two, and a 19-point lead to the visitors at the first change.
In the second term, the Bulldogs had their opportunities to pull the deficit back, but they would regret some of the missed shots that killed their chances of building momentum. Despite having more of the play, and more scoring shots, the Bulldogs would lose the quarter as some wasteful finishing in front of goals would cost them dearly. The Cats, against the run of play, won the quarter by four goals to three, extending their lead to 20 points at half time.
The Bulldogs went on the attack in the third term, knowing they had to create some scoring if they were to get themselves back in the contest. But the Cats had the answering goal to every challenge the Bulldogs would throw their way. It was an exciting quarter of footy, good to watch; but the Bulldogs were unable to bridge the gap against a Camden side that was high on confidence and not willing to concede the momentum they had built earlier in the day. It was goal for goal in the third term, four goals apiece. But for all the UNSW-ES effort to try to get closer, the Cats increased their lead to 21 points at the last change.
The game tightened in the last quarter, and as the term drew on it became increasingly clear that the Bulldogs weren’t going to be able to overcome the deficit. Just one goal apiece would be scored, as the Cats repelled any forward press the Bulldogs would launch and the clock ticked down to give the Premier Division newcomers their finest win yet.
The final margin was 19 points. Daniel Leary, Josh van Leunen and Josh Burke were prominent performers for the Cats. Three wins so far this season has been a solid return; and had the Cats not been pipped at the post twice this year, they would now be in the top five.
Tom Banuelos stood tall on the Bulldogs’ forward line to finish with five goals, while Michael Thompson, Harrison Collins and Luke Essenstam worked hard around the ground. But the Bulldogs will be disappointed to drop this game. Despite losing this game, the Bulldogs actually climbed up a spot on the ladder thanks to their respectable percentage and East Coast losing by a bigger margin. But an even four wins and four losses sees the Bulldogs vulnerable to a challenge for a position in the top five if a team below them can string some wins together.

Bragging rights in the North-West were up for grabs when Pennant Hills took on East Coast at Mike Kenny Oval. It was a game that on paper looked like it could be a close one; but as it turned out was anything but as the Demons put on a dominant performance.
There wasn’t much in it in the first quarter, although the Demons were showing plenty of signs that they meant business. A high-scoring shootout in which the possession-gathering midfielders featured prominently, the Demons were flexing their muscle and giving the Eagle defenders plenty to worry about as they threw the ball forward at every opportunity. The quarter would see the Demons kick five goals to four and lead by ten points at the first change.
The Eagles had enough scoring shots to compete during the first term, but those chances dried up in the second. Breaking down badly across the half-forward line, the Eagles found themselves repelled time and again by a Demon defence that were refusing to concede an inch. The Eagles were held scoreless in the second term, as the Demons shut them down with a ruthless efficiency. At the other end, the Demons missed a few shots they should have kicked, but weight of opportunities would take its toll as four unanswered goals sailed through the big sticks; and the Pennant Hills lead was extended to 41 points at the long break.
The Demons were rampant and unstoppable, and the Eagles were powerless to bridge the gap. In the third quarter, the Eagles found themselves frustrated, as they failed to hit their targets and the Demons cleared the ball out of danger with regularity. The Eagles could manage only one goal in the third quarter compared to four for the home side; who had a stranglehold on the game that tightened as the premiership quarter progressed. By the time the teams got into their groups at three quarter time, the Pennant Hills lead was out to 60 points and the result was well and truly beyond doubt.
Sensing a percentage boost and the chance to stick the boot into a finals challenger, the Demons kept going in the final quarter. The last term would see a return of five goals to three, extending the margin to 72 points and laying a key psychological blow against the Eagles.
Matt Carey was impressive on the forward line for the Demons and finished with five goals. Around the ground, Jackson Potter, Damian Dell’Aquila and Stephen Wray were ball magnets. The Demons move up to second place on the ladder, two games behind North Shore but two games clear of the Eagles; and are building up nicely in their premiership defence.
Luke Mansour, Trent Stubbs and Reuben Haupt battled hard for the Eagles. But it was a disappointing performance for the Eagles, their heaviest loss of the season to date. The loss sees them on an even record of four wins and four losses; and the size of the defeat was enough for their percentage to fall behind UNSW-ES to drop them to fifth on the ladder.

Manly and Wests faced off at Weldon Oval on Saturday afternoon, and it would be a one-sided affair as the Wolves once again took full advantage of their home surroundings and were far too strong for an under-manned Magpie outfit.
It was clear early on that the Wolves were the stronger side, and they were soon taking the lion’s share of possession; but some wayward finishing would keep the Magpies within striking distance. The Wolves would kick the only goal of the first quarter, but despite having the ball in their forward line for much of the term were unable to capitalise on the scoreboard. But the Magpies were unable to take advantage of Manly’s inaccuracy, unable to penetrate their forward 50 and put the home side under any pressure. The Wolves were leading by 12 points at the first change, although the nature of play around the ground suggested they should have been leading by more.
The second quarter saw the Wolves put the game out of the Magpies’ reach, as they added six unanswered goals. The dominance around the ground that had been started in the first term continued I the second; but finally the Wolves were able to generate a more coherent forward line and reap the rewards for effort that were there to be had. The possession count was lopsided and the Magpies didn’t have the firepower to match it with the Wolves; and heads were low in the Magpie camp as they returned to the rooms at half time without a goal on the board and trailing by 50 points.
The Magpies did lift in the third term, and broke their drought with three goals for the term. It wasn’t enough to win the quarter, as the Wolves put seven goals together. At least the Magpies had shown something more than their disappointing first half. But it was not enough to challenge the supremacy of the Wolves, who were winning nearly every contest around the ground and forcing the desperate Magpies into regular turnovers.
With a 78-point lead at the last change, the result of the game was beyond doubt. The game felt like it was largely going through the motions in the last term; and the Wolves added three goals to two to extend the winning margin to 85 points and maintain their unbeaten record at Weldon Oval in 2018.
Anthony Robertson continued his impressive run of form on the forward line for the Wolves to finish with five goals; while Lachlan Behagg, Kyle Martin and Jack Hawkins were standouts around the ground. The win sees the Wolves move to an even record of four wins and four losses, only percentage keeping them out of the top five.
Callum McEvoy-Gray, Michael Tuttle and Michael Lemme battled tirelessly all afternoon for the Magpies. But they didn’t have the firepower around the ground to match it with an in-form Manly side that were in an unstoppable mood. The Magpies have one win so far this season, stuck on the bottom of the ladder and looking for a spark to lift themselves and salvage the season.

Black - Confirmed finallistsGreen - Currently in a finals position, but not yet guaranteed a place in the finalsBlue - Not currently in a finals position, but still a chance to qualifyPurple - Will not be competing in the finalsRed - Wooden spoon